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Doe Castle
DOE CASTLE ~ Caisleán na dTuath
Doe Castle
Doe Castle on the shores of Sheephaven Bay near the village of Creeslough, dates from the mid 16th century and was the home of the MacSweeney Clan, who came to Ireland from Scotland and who ruled over much of the area at that time.
"... inside a battlemented bawn this substantial ruin of a well-fenestrated two storey residence is reinforced by a four storey square tower at one end and a shorter round tower at the other. Gun ports abound in both castle and bawn walls. In the 16th century when it was first built this was a MacSweeney stronghold and served as a refuge for ship wrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada in 1588. During the following century it was captured and recaptured many times by both Irish and English until peace came to county Donegal in the 18th century when the fortress was converted into a country residence." From 'The Intelligent Traveller's Guide to Historic Ireland (Philip A. Crowl).
Click on any of the images below to enlarge.
"... inside a battlemented bawn this substantial ruin of a well-fenestrated two storey residence is reinforced by a four storey square tower at one end and a shorter round tower at the other. Gun ports abound in both castle and bawn walls. In the 16th century when it was first built this was a MacSweeney stronghold and served as a refuge for ship wrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada in 1588. During the following century it was captured and recaptured many times by both Irish and English until peace came to county Donegal in the 18th century when the fortress was converted into a country residence." From 'The Intelligent Traveller's Guide to Historic Ireland (Philip A. Crowl).
Click on any of the images below to enlarge.
Old writing from duchas.ie:
“In olden days a man called Maol Murragh lived in Doe Castle. He was a very bad man.
He used to invite a party of ladies to dine with him and he put the chairs for the ladies at one side of the room.
When the ladies came he would invite them to come across the room to him and they were going across they each fell down through a half-open trap-door to a cell below. Nobody went into that cell but Maol Murragh and it is believed that he killed them. Anyway, no person ever saw them again.
Maol Murragh had a daughter called Eileen Óg and she loved a boy called Turlough Óg Ó Boyle who lived at Faugher. A feud raged between Maol and Turlough's father. Maol determined to get rid of him and one day when Turlough was coming to see Eileen he caught hold of him and hung him.
Eileen was at a window at the top of the Castle and when she saw Turlough being dragged across the grounds and saw him being hung she jumped from the top of the Castle and was killed instantly.
When Maol died he was buried in a sort of vault beside Granny's grave and a big yellow stone with a thing like a Celtic cross on it marks the place where he is laid. In olden days a man called Maol Murragh lived in Doe Castle. He was a very bad man.
He used to invite a party of ladies to dine with him and he put the chairs for the ladies at one side of the room.
When the ladies came he would invite them to come across the room to him and they were going across they each fell down through a half-open trap-door to a cell below. Nobody went into that cell but Maol Murragh and it is believed that he killed them. Anyway, no person ever saw them again.
Maol Murragh had a daughter called Eileen Óg and she loved a boy called Turlough Óg Ó Boyle who lived at Faugher. A feud raged between Maol and Turlough's father. Maol determined to get rid of him and one day when Turlough was coming to see Eileen he caught hold of him and hung him.
Eileen was at a window at the top of the Castle and when she saw Turlough being dragged across the grounds and saw him being hung she jumped from the top of the Castle and was killed instantly.
When Maol died he was buried in a sort of vault beside Granny's grave and a big yellow stone with a thing like a Celtic cross on it marks the place where he is laid.”
From Duchas.ie
COLLECTOR - Frances Gallagher
Gender - Female
Address - Creeslough, Co. Donegal
INFORMANT - W. Gallagher
Relation - Parent
Gender - Male
Address - Creeslough, Co. Donegal
“In olden days a man called Maol Murragh lived in Doe Castle. He was a very bad man.
He used to invite a party of ladies to dine with him and he put the chairs for the ladies at one side of the room.
When the ladies came he would invite them to come across the room to him and they were going across they each fell down through a half-open trap-door to a cell below. Nobody went into that cell but Maol Murragh and it is believed that he killed them. Anyway, no person ever saw them again.
Maol Murragh had a daughter called Eileen Óg and she loved a boy called Turlough Óg Ó Boyle who lived at Faugher. A feud raged between Maol and Turlough's father. Maol determined to get rid of him and one day when Turlough was coming to see Eileen he caught hold of him and hung him.
Eileen was at a window at the top of the Castle and when she saw Turlough being dragged across the grounds and saw him being hung she jumped from the top of the Castle and was killed instantly.
When Maol died he was buried in a sort of vault beside Granny's grave and a big yellow stone with a thing like a Celtic cross on it marks the place where he is laid. In olden days a man called Maol Murragh lived in Doe Castle. He was a very bad man.
He used to invite a party of ladies to dine with him and he put the chairs for the ladies at one side of the room.
When the ladies came he would invite them to come across the room to him and they were going across they each fell down through a half-open trap-door to a cell below. Nobody went into that cell but Maol Murragh and it is believed that he killed them. Anyway, no person ever saw them again.
Maol Murragh had a daughter called Eileen Óg and she loved a boy called Turlough Óg Ó Boyle who lived at Faugher. A feud raged between Maol and Turlough's father. Maol determined to get rid of him and one day when Turlough was coming to see Eileen he caught hold of him and hung him.
Eileen was at a window at the top of the Castle and when she saw Turlough being dragged across the grounds and saw him being hung she jumped from the top of the Castle and was killed instantly.
When Maol died he was buried in a sort of vault beside Granny's grave and a big yellow stone with a thing like a Celtic cross on it marks the place where he is laid.”
From Duchas.ie
COLLECTOR - Frances Gallagher
Gender - Female
Address - Creeslough, Co. Donegal
INFORMANT - W. Gallagher
Relation - Parent
Gender - Male
Address - Creeslough, Co. Donegal